which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. >> bret: getting the latest from capitol hill as we watch all elements of this fiscal cliff story moments ago. representative john fleming are louisiana walked through saying there will be a vote one way or the other. possibly to amend the bill, possibly an up or down. representative raoul stopped by and said he doesn't think there are the votes to amend the bill. therefore, he doesn't think an amended version will pass. he thinks the up or down vote will happen. representatives allen west and paul ryan, of course, the vice presidential nominee stopped by but all they wanted to talk about were college game scores. thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. that's it for special. we will cover it all for you, fair, balanced and unafraid. >> i'm rick folbaum in for

shepard smith this new year's day. we begin with breaking news on "the fox report." house republicans are getting closer to voting on the senate fiscal cliff bill. first they may try to make some changes to the deal the senate cut with the white house late last night. but senate democrats say there is no time for that we actually already went over the cliff at midnight officially. that means that every american's paycheck is about to shrink. huge spending cuts are about to take effect automatically. the senate bill delays those cuts and prevents tax hikes on families making under $450,000 a year. lots of house republicans say they won't support the senate's bill without more spending cuts. we have team fox coverage. ed henry is live at the white house. but, first to mike emanuel live on capitol hill. so, mike, where do things stand now? >> well, rick, on the house floor as we speak right now, they are counting votes. they are seeing if there are 218 voted in the house of representatives to essentially

decide to go forward with adding spending cut amendments to the senate-passed bill to essentially see if there is enough support to pass the house. if they have that, they say they will go forward with a risky strategy of ending a spending cut amendment to that bipartisan deal. if they don't have 218 votes, they say they will go forward with the bipartisan deal that passed the senate, bottom line, here is why house republicans don't like this fiscal cliff deal. >> the senate bill failed miserably in cutting spending. i know that we can address that in debt limit. i think a lot of us believe that we have to address it today. >> and, of course, house republicans are being warned that this is a risky strategy. there has already been a threat from the democratic leadership saying if the republicans try to send this bill back with an amendment on it, they will not take it up so then they are saying that the house republican will be responsible for the largest tax increase in american

history. rick? >> rick: mike, house democrats have been keeping up the pressure on house republicans. how have they been doing that? >> they point to the fact that this deal in the united states senate got 89 vote, which is very difficult to do and has polarized washington environment. vice president joe biden also up here today making a second trip to capitol hill in less than 24 hours. his messages house democratics, we need you to get behind the deal that he had negotiated bottom line, house democrats are essentially saying it's time to move forward. >> vice president biden has worked very hard to come to a compromise. by definition, a compromise has elements in it that each party does not like. but by definition, it has things in it that each party should like. so essentially what the house democrats are saying this got 89 votes in the united states senate. huge bipartisan support. it should be voted on as is,

rick. >> rick: all of this happens, mike, as we are about ready to close the book on this congress, right? >> that's right. we are less than 48 hours from a new congress being sworn in. so the clock is clearly ticking. there is also the concern about how the worldwide markets will react to this uncertainty. so that is why some house republicans are saying they should take the deal. >> i recognize we don't have the white house, we don't have the senate. and so all things considered, i think this is as good an outcome as we could have expected and it moves us toward, you know, issues that i think work more to our advantage and on to political ground that's a lot firmer for us. >> so he is saying that they can fight spending on future deals to come, but there are other republicans who are saying they should fight spending right now, rick. >> rick: mike emanuel up on the hill. thanks very much. white house officials say that president obama was planning to go back to hawaii, apparently thinking the fiscal cliff deal was done now he

like the rest of the country is in limbo. team fox coverage continuing now. ed henry live at the white house. what's the reaction to the opposition that we're hearing from house republicans? >> well, rick, they are waiting in washington like the rest of us. they are still hopeful foe that they are going to clear up these road blocks. they think ace in the hole at the white house. they got the senate republican leader mitch mcconnell on board with this deal as mike suggested and that he is so far out on a limb it's going to be hard for house speaker john boehner to shove aside his fellow republican leader and not support him, not support getting this legislation through the house. otherwise, all those senate republicans, a vast majority of them that supported this will be hung out to dry. vice president biden, in fact today after he was on the hill, was just having a casual lunch at a sandwich lunch called pot bellies with staffers. he took a casual stroll back over to the white house and talking to reporters as if everything is still on track. in fact, when he was asked about this, he said he still thinks it's going to go through the house.

take a listen. >> i hope so. i think so. >> what if the house sends the bill back to the senate? does it have a chance of passing? >> i think we're going to be okay. >> now we're told the vice president by the way ordered a meatball and prove lone. that's probably a good sign because they have another sandwich at that shop called a wreck. that's probably not a good symbol for how they want this to play out. >> i like a good meatball sandwich, too. if this does go through, there are bigger battles looming just next month, right? >> the debt ceiling. according to timothy geithner. we reached the nation's debt ceiling basically the limit to the borrowing authority. you see the national debt clock continuing to go up. and, basically, he has said he is taking extraordinary measures to free up about $200 billion. so we don't literally hit that ceiling. but it will only give us two months. by the end of february there is going to be yet another debate about whether or not we are going to raise that debt ceiling. speaker boehner's plan is to

make a big deal out of that to rain more spending cuts out of the president. white house views that is holding the nation hostage on paying the nation's bills. they think that will be detrimental to the economy. i spoke to one of the president's advisors today who told me if you think the last few weeks are tough we are about to. enter 60 days of nastiness, rick? >> rick: ed henry live for us at the white house. thank you very much. more from washington as the news comes. in also coming up, doctors say they want to keep secretary of state hillary clinton in the hospital a little while longer. we are learning more about the dangers of that blood clot near her brain. plus, students who survived the massacre in newtown, connecticut are getting ready to go back to class in a different school. but officials say that they are trying to make it feel as familiar for the kids as possible. that's coming up on "the fox report." i'm done!

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>> rick: a fox news alert and we are waiting from washington as we take a look at lawmakers on the floor of the house of representatives. lawmakers are set to consider very soon an amended version of the fiscal cliff deal that was passed in the senate. one that includes hundreds of billions of dollars in spending cuts. if that does not work out for republican, the republican leadership there, they will then apparently take an up or down voted on the senate version of the fiscal cliff bill. as we get word from d.c., we will will pass it along. meantime, secretary of state hillary clinton is spending new year's day today in a new york city hospital. she has been there since sunday, after doctors discovered a blood clot in her head. they say she is making excellent progress but they are not ready to send her home just yet. catherine herridge with the news now from d.c. >> rick, doctors who are familiar with the condition called right transfer sinus venus tom bofs say these close can be serious if not deadly if untreated. come from patients severely dehydrated which causes a

thickening of the blood. the clot in this case is one of the major veins that drains the vein behind mrs. clinton's right here. on america's newsroom medical expert who does not treat mrs. clinton explained the condition. principally in women. it's about three times more common in women than men. and in patients over the age of 65, about a third of them have no known cause. unusual. about five of these a year. in our large hospital. >> on december 7th. mrs. clinton returns from a five day trip with a stomach virus that also effects her staff. on december 11th, the state department cancels a key trip to the middle east. on december 15th, in a rare weekend announcement. her aides say mrs. clinton became dehydrated from the stomach virus which led to a blackout and fall earlier in the week causing the concussion. on sunday, aids confirming the discovery of a blood clot. this week of the new highly critical senate port report on the benghazi was released.

lawmakers wish her a speedy recovery as they waited for her testimony which was postponed in mid december citing her health problems. >> she is not only a great secretary of state she is you are personal friend and has been so for a long in my case -- i have a slight advantage over here because i met her, hillary in the early 70s when she was at law school. she was quite impressive then as was the guy she was dating at the time. [ laughter ] >> whatever happened to him? >> joking aside, there was strong bipartisan support for mrs. clinton to testify before the there could be movement on confirming her successor. but that was before we knew about the blood clot. one published report now suggesting the third week of january is the earliest we can expect that testimony. rick? >> rick: catherine herridge, thanks very much. pennsylvania governor tom corbett says that the punishment stemming from the penn state child rape scandal are, quote, illegal and he says is he going to sue. the issue here is how the ncaa plans to spend the $60 million

it find the university. a jury convicted former football coach jerry sandusky for abusing a number of young boys over a long time. in some cases the abuse happened at penn state athletic facilities. the ncaa slapping the school with a record fine and banning the football team from bowl games for four years, among other things. governor corbett reportedly filed the lawsuit after the ncaa announced that only about a quarter of the $60 million fined will be used for sexual abuse prevention in the state of pennsylvania. children who survived the deadly school shooting in newtown, connect did you connect are set to return on thursday. they will not be heading to sandy hook elementary school where the gunman opened fire a middle school school building with 60 miles await a minute we are learning the crews have literally recreated the classrooms from sandy hook with the same pictures on the wall. the same crayons on the desk. 20 first graders and six adults died in last month

wants school shooting master before the gunman killed himself. the new building will be, quote, the safest school in america. overseas now, the north korean dictator kim jong un making a rare public appearance today broadcast on state television there. he called for stronger ties between north and south korea. two nations which have technically been at war since 1950. >> by holding fast to the ideals of independence, peace and friendship, we will, in the future too, strive to develop relations of friendship and cooperation with countries that are friendly to our country at of their respect for sorchted. safeguard regional peace and civility and make the whole world independent. >> no mention of his country's secret nuclear program. just last month, north korea launched a long range rocket which critics say may have been a cover for a nuclear test. this is the first televised new year's day speech north korea leader in almost two

decades. when the clock struck mid in need last night a whole slew of new laws took effect across the country. some important others down right silly. we will examine them in a live report coming up next. few short weeks until inauguration day. coming up how washington is getting ready for half a million people to descend on the capitol to catch a glimpse of history. [ roasting firewood ]

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>> rick: fox news alert, republicans in the nation's capitol still searching for a way forward after that deal that was hammered out between senate republicans and the white house to avert the so-called fiscal cliff. it passed overwhelmingly in the early hours of this morning and now the house is trying to figure out what to do with it. we have just gotten word that the speaker john boehner has left the house floor.

apparently the house is now in recess. it has not yet taken up any of the legislation involved in the fiscal cliff. we do expect them to come back there may be some kind of a vote later on. we will continue to keep it covered for you right here on "the fox report" it is officially a new year. with it comes thousands of new laws all over the country. some are pretty big news. others maybe not such big news. maryland today officially joining the list of states that have legalized gay marriage. california and illinois each enacting caylee's law named for caylee anthony strong punishment for parents or guardians who fail to report a child missing after 24 hours. the citizenship of employees on pluck works projects. then there are the head scratchers like the one in florida where for some reason you no longer have to register a swamp buggy as a motor vehicle. shannon bream is live in washington with more on this. shannon, let's talk about some of the other unique laws that hit the books today.

>> well, rick, they state level, legislators passed more than 29,000 new measures last year including these, california has outlined the use of dogs for hunting bobcats and bears, lawmakers there saying it's just not a fair fight. now, over in concord, massachusetts, there is now a ban on selling bottled water. you won't be able to buy it there anymore or you will face a fine. and in oregon, it's now illegal for employers to advertise a job opening if they won't consider applicants who are currently unemployed. and you know, we all know that old signal flashing your headlights to let an oncoming driver to know there is a speed trap ahead. in florida as of today can you no longer get a ticket for tipping off fellow drivers, rick. >> rick: good to know. what about at the federal level, shannon. >> something that's getting a lot of attention. department of health and human services issued in conjunction with the new healthcare law. requires employers to provide healthcare insurance provide free access to birth control. there is is exemption for

religious employers. there are now more than 40 laws pending brought by companies saying they meet the criteria the obama administration is failing to recognize their status, that clues hobby lobby which lost supreme court bid for emergency injunction last week. founder and ceo david green says he won't abandon his religious beliefs in order to comply with the mandate. >> there is no way to avoid sort of the social and religious implyifications of the fundamental transformation of healthcare that this administration wants. any time a law is this big you are going to get ploirsz who are going to fight and it if they are successful, then the administration might not have a choice. >> hobby lobby's decision by the way could potentially cost the company $1.3 million in fines every day. rick? >> shannon bream live in d.c. thank you very much. the very first day of 2013 means president obama's inauguration for his second term is just three weeks away. the planning and the preparations have been going on actually for months. half a million people are

expected to attend the event. either along the parade route or at the event itself. that's fewer than four years ago when more than a million-dollar spectators descended on washington, d.c. as jennifer davis reports, the logistics are just as challenging. you could say this hum of construction represents the foundation of our country. these are the stands that will showcase the peaceful passage of one presidential term to the next. >> we feel good that america has had this tradition for hundreds of years. >> they aren't expecting the record setting crowds of four years ago but senator chuck schumer who is involved in organizing says they are still planning plenty of pomp and circumstance. >> the inauguration seems to be gaining in strength in terms of the interest people have the number of people who want to come. >> there will be two ceremonies, a private one sunday since the constitution calls for the president to be sworn in on the 20th and the usual public one monday. the military's role is so involved that officials have

con sphrucketted a giant -- constructed a giant map of the city to prep and plan. they have done dozens of walk throughs before transitioning to city streets in a couple of weeks. thousands from all military branches taking part serving in a have a right of roles as others swearing in and even marching in the parade. a military tradition that dates back to the beginning. >> the army, military veterans, and veterans of the revolutionary war paraded with george washington down the streets of federal hall in new york. it reflects our respect for our commander and chief. >> as the inauguration approaches, they are gearing up to give the public a front row seat to it. >> the museum filled $100 tickets for inauguration day which will give people access to the extraordinary views from its indoor balconies. tickets sold out in three weeks. it's not every day you get to it watch history happen. that's one of the things that folks here on inauguration day will be able to see. >> where will visitors stay?

one option is the swanky and spacious 3500 square foot presidential suite at the man darr written oriental. if you are able to fork over $15,000 a night, you too could enjoy these luxurious accommodations. if you want this special suite. you better act fast. >> we were close to having it sold. >> a naked man with a sam member rye sword got off to the new year with a standoff with the police today it happened this morning he waived his sword around. we blurred the screen a bit for obvious reasons. the man was shouting out you have to kill me. the guy was wielding an assault rifle. police recovered the rifle and as you can see the man ultimately dropped his sword and surrendered to police. good idea.

we are following breaking news right now. house republicans say they may vote on the senate's version of the fiscal cliff bill tonight. first though they are trying to make some changes. they need to see if they have got the support for. this but senate democrats are basically saying take it or leave it we have got a live update from capitol hill straight ahead. also, a fight turns deadly on new year's eve. police say one of the victims was trying to stop the violence. that's coming up on "the fox report."

>> new kind of club opened up in november. about a month after colorado legalized marijuana the nation's first spot smoking club is officially open for business. for 30 bucks a month members can club owners say it's a place where pot smokers can hang out, listen to music. you have to bring your own stash. the club does not sell any marijuana. two people dead and three others hurt as a shooting breaks out at a bar.

our top story on a fox trip across america. california. officials say it started with argument sacramento ahead of a planned fireworks celebration. an employee who tried to break up the fight was shot and killed along with another man. authorities say an armed guard heard the shots and got into a gun fight with the apparent suspect. cops later arrested a 22-year-old in connection with the shooting. new jersey, a five alarm fire ripped through a northberg housing complex damage caused by hurricane sandy. the flames burned in three building at the complex and collapsed one roof it took 100 firefighters several hours to get control of the flames. no major injuries reported. alaska. an oil drilling ship ran aground off the state's southern coast it happened after the broke free from

towing ship. the coast guard launched a rescue mission and evacuated all of the vessel's 18 crew members before it ran aground. officials say winds topped 60 miles per hour and seas up of to 35 feet. the vessel had more than 150,000 gallons of fuel on board. no spills reported. that's a fox watch across america. i'm rick folbaum in for shepard smith. this is the fox report. house republicans are decides on the next step to avoid those consequences of falling off the so-called fiscal cliff. overnight, the senate reached an agreement that would delay the crippling spending cuts and keep taxes from going up on incomes below $450,000. since then, many republicans in the house have argued that the bill does not do enough to cush spending. democrats say they can't afford to wait any more time. >> we're hopeful that republicans on the house will do as democrats and republicans did on the senate.

and weigh all the equities here. >> i know it was way past those senators' bedtime and they were blurried eyed when they were reading it we are trying to fill in the gap for where they may have missed a few things. >> economists had warned falling off the fiscal cliff could drive the u.s. into another recession. they add that even if a limited deal is reached that might still put a dent in our economy. let's turn to fox news senior capitol hill producer chad pergram. good to see you. happy new year. house speaker john boehner has been trying to figure out where everybody stands. how does that work? >> we are in the middle of what's called a whip operation right now. this is where they are counting the votes. john boehner just had a conference a few minutes ago with his members. he said i'm willing to try two things. if you don't like this bill, let's try to amend it it let's put some spending cuts in it and send it back to the senate. if we can't get a majority. if we can't get 218 votes here, we're going to have to take the senate bill as they send it to us. we have to pass that bill because obviously we can't not do anything at this stage of

the game. they just had a series of votes on the house floor unrelated to the fiscal cliff. this is sort of a bed check vote where you sort of check who all is here. they are in about 415 to 416 members right now. current manipulate of the -- membership of the house is 432. checking to see who is there they were walking around the whips in the house republican conference with these little green cards and checking to see where people were. where they stood on these issues. and then they will do some math as they say later tonight, sort of check to see where people are then they will make a decision to forge ahead on which of these two plans. >> chad, i know you have covered john boehner for many many years. this has got to be a very difficult moment for him. is there a chance that he brings the senate version to a vote on the floor of the house even if he doesn't have the majority support of his party? >> that's an interesting question there is is something here on capitol hill that the house republicans have adhered to for a couple of years called the hastert rule where you would only bring a majority of majority bill to the floor. in other words the majority of the majority party has to be

for something. it's named after former house speaker john boehner. if he can't get everybody on his side on board, that might be the only option that house speaker john boehner has. and the reason is because we're right up against the deadline. i mean, this congress ends at noon on thursday. you can't take a bill that has started of in the old congress over into the new congress. it works that way just constitutionally. it's automatic. they are limited in terms it of time, the sands are dripping through the hourglass here. we are down to the very last few of began all-s. before they go down to the. >> though expect the house rules committee to meet later tonight. that's a good sign they are trying to move a bill. whether they move plan number one amending the senate bill or number two whether they just take what the senate sent them. the rules committee sets the parameters for the baited. usually you have to write a rule one day ahead of time to determine how you are going to

handle it on the floor. that's a good sign that something is forging ahead. the question would be would they try to do it tonight, maybe very late tonight like the senate did last night ored o tomorrow? so that means that things are really starting to percolate here on capitol hill in just the past couple of hours. they have a sense of where all these members stand very very soon and have to lean on democrats possibly for support if they go with a second option. >> chad, great work as awssments he is our senior producer up on the chill 12 million in 10 different states will start seeing paychecks get a little bigger thanks to new laws between 10 and 35 cents an hour depending on the state. a boost which could add up to more than 500 bucks a year for some folks. rises went into effect in arizona, colorado, florida, missouri, montana ohio, oregon, rhode island, vermont, and washington. supporters of the move say the hike could help to stimulate the economy. a little more money to spend.

but opponents say that it could lead to job losses. some survivors of this week's deadly tour bus crash are preparing to finish their trip, more than a dozen wounded passengers are still in the hospital. this bus skidded off of an icy highway on sunday and plunged more than a hundred feet down the side of a hill. reportedly rolling over a few times. nine people died, 38 were hurt. this happened in northeast oregon about 200 miles outside of portland. passengers were heading to canada on the last leg of a nine day tour of the western part of the u.s. according to the red cross, some of the survivors were too scared to get back on the bus after the crash, a local ford auto dealership offered to drive them to canada instead. well a show of force from iran as its military test fired some powerful missiles while warning enemy nations to stay away. plus, dramatic video of a rescue helicopter plunging into the water narrowly missing crowds on a nearby beach. we will show you how this thing ends coming up next.

once again just taking the smallest steps to reach out to their friend and family again. it's called happy mail, stickers sold in packs for envelopes and packages reminiscent of the that fragile stamp. >> we developed these fun little stickers. personal notes instead of emails to improve a daily ritual most folks have. they get home from work or wherever they have been during their day, they go to the mailbox and grab the stack and

start shuffling through. you see your bills and you see all the mailers and what are you really looking for? >> that personal touch we all crave is what kinneer hopes to restore. >> as much as we all feel like we are more connected because you know we are always tweeting or texting or emailing, that actually people are feeling more and more disconnected. additionally happy mail is working with the girl scouts to send packages to troops overseas. the u.s. postal service does not endorse patty's endeavor or other businesses like it. it's all for folks sending more mail because right now it could use all the help it could get. >> we have seen a drop in first class communication. >> while this is the busy season it recently posted its largest annual loss ever of $15.9 million. david rupert says it's hoping for resurgence in connections that last. >> my father wrote a single letter to me and his whole life i still have it i still read it. >> the more people that we get

to do this, the more i think we can change the tide of this feeling of just blah. >> as someone whose day job is in historical preservation kinneer hopes reviving the dying art of letter writing will help us preserve the tan tangible memories we lose in the ether. alicia acuna, fox news. >> nuclear stand offwith iran taking on must turn today. navy warned military forces to back off. that country's navy wrapping up a five day naval exercise. it's been testing antiship missiles which it claims can hit targets 120 miles away. the iranian navy warning foreign military forces not to go near the exercise. or even spying on them. here is is where it gets tricky. the drills have been taking place in one of the world's most important and busiest water ways. the strait of hormuz. that's the passage way for one fifth of the world's combine

oil supply. leland vittert is live in our mideast bureau with more. what is the purpose of these drills? >> rick, for the iranians, this isn't so much a military exercise as it is is an exercise in public relations. this is the opening salvo now in what will be another round of opening discussion of iran's nuclear program. the important thing militarily to look at is the kinds of weapons they tested. that antiship missile capable of taking out something like a u.s. aircraft carrier. they also put a number of mines down inside the area where they were doing these exercises. those could be used to blow up ships or oil tankers as they move through. and also an iranian official issued very on must warning. if iran were to be attacked. they would go about trying to close the straits of hormuz. in many ways a lot of people say this is just smoke in mirrors. iranian tactical ability doesn't rise to this level and certainly the u.s. military could keep the strait of hormuz open the strait and

ability toll harass shipping in it and effect world oil prices is their strategic trump card they are reminding the world they still hold it, >> rick: rick debate over the world's nuclear program which they claim is for peaceful purposes. how might these drills influence that debate? >> exactly iran right now is continuing to enrich uranium every day they have more of that 20% uranium getting 20 -- closer to building a nuclear bomb. inching ever closer to prime minister benjamin netanyahu israel's imaginary red line that he drew on that diagram at the united nations back in september is many experts will tell you we will get to that red line sometime around mid summer that means there are three options on the table. one, some kind of grand deal. iran decides to negotiate. number two, an israeli strike. number three, an american military strike for the israelis to strike, they have got to do it pretty quickly now here because they have limited long rake bombing

capabilities. for israel now they have a real incentive to put a threat of a strike on the table. they think that may make the iranians more likely to negotiate in the support for fu. you can expect a lot of saber rattling coming out of jerusalem especially rick that we are just three weeks away from the israeli elections and prime minister netanyahu loves nothing more in a campaign than to talk about the iranian issue. rick? >> rick: thank you, leland. leland vittert in jersz. in syria, fighting between the military and rebel forces is reportedly raging in the country's two major cities. we are told there has been very intense fighting in the suburbs of the capital city damascus. further north it's the same story in syrians largest city aleppo. there the fighting has forced the international airport to close. human rights activists say more than 45,000 people have died in syria's 21 month long civil war. and today the president, syria's main opposition group asking the international

community for more weapons. five female teachers and two health workers died today an gunmen ambushed their van in northwest pakistan. that's the words for police there. it's just the latest apparent attack on aid groups providing vaccinations against the crippling disease polio. trying to sterilize muslims. they say the program is simply a cover for he is pee espionage. one the three nations where polio is is still a big problem. the attack happened in the same providence where militants shot and wounded this 15-year-old girl who had spoke out in support of women's education. she is still recovering in a hospital in great britain. a rescue helicopter crashes into the sea while crews were trying to save a swimmer. our top story as we go around the world in 80 seconds. brazil, it happened just off the shore from a popular beach

in rio de janeiro. amateur video shows the chopper plunging into the water after officials say an engine failed. all four crew members and a swimmer managed to get out without any major injuries. south africa. flames ripped through a crowded settlement, killing at least three people near cape town. officials say the worst of the fires broke out in the early morning hours while people were still asleep. no word on the cause but some 4,000 residents now homeless according to reports. ivory coast. more than 60 people died. and hundreds more were hurt when a stampede broke out after a new year's fireworks show. officials say people in the crowd panicked as they tried to leave, the victims were trampled and suffocated. many of them said to be children and teenagers. hospital officials say the death toll is likely to rise an investigation is underway. columbia. a landslide that came crashing down on a highway in the southwest, killed at least

five people and hurt several more. officials say it struck as the bulldozer was moving dirt from a previous landslide. rescue units have sent hundreds of workers and search dogs to look for anybody buried in the rubble, at least 20 people believed to still be missing. that's a wrap on this fox trip around the world in 80 seconds. well, today a protester climbed the scaffolding around st. peters basilica with a banner calling on the pope to stop terrorism. the protester believed to be a man from romania who was paid to scale around once before. the police arresting this guy. it did not cause any disruptions as pope benedict celebrated new year's day at the basilica marks the church's world day of peace. in his whomly today, the pope saying that he he is peace will prevail in 2013. wouldn't that be nice. 2012 is over. we will will always have the memories the good and the bad. a look back at the biggest

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>> rick: as we look forward to the new year we leave behind yet another year of unforgettable headlines from the presidential election of course, the summer olympic games in london to the tragedies that stunned the nation. shepard smith now taking a look back at the biggest stories of 2012. >> politics played a major role this year obviously as the u.s. counted down to the presidential election. mass shootings, an historic supreme court ruling, and washington sandals also dominated the headlines. >> shepard: 2012 opened with the first in the nation iowa caucuses. initial reports put mitt romney out in front much the certified results showed former senator rick santorum actually won by a handful of

votes. racial tensions spiked when george zimmerman shot and killed the florida teenager trayvon march incontinue. the self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman says he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense. fighting in syria intensifies. a defined bashar assad refused to step down. activists estimate 40,000 people have died since the violence last year. trouble in columbia for the u.s. secret service when agents brought prostitutes back to their hotel. president obama arrived in the country just a few days later appear a bitter primary season the race for the white house took place. mitt romney the party's presidential nominee. change in egypt. mohammed morsi of the muslim brotherhood won the country's first free presidential election. later sparked enormous protest when he gave himself broad powers. as the summer heated up, so did the supreme court. the justices ruled on the affordable care act.

the 5 to 4 opinion was a big win for the president's healthcare insurance plan. the court decided the individual mandate, which requires nearly every american to have health insurance or pay a penalty falls under the government's taxation powers. massacre at the movies. investigators say james holmes opened fire at a midnight screening of the batman film the night rises. 12 people killed and 58 others hurt. athletes from all over the globe gathered for the 2012 summer olympic games in london: in august a somber milestone for our armed forces as the number of u.s. military deaths in afghanistan reached 2,000. violence in a place of worship. a gunman opened fire in a wisconsin sikh temple killing six people and wounding four others before he killed himself. mitt romney completed the republican ticket by selecting the wisconsin congressman paul ryan as his running mate. hurricane isaac cancelled the first day of the republican national convention in tampa.

where governor romney and congressman ryan officially accepted the republican party nominations. >> i will work with all my energy and soul to restore that america, to lift our eyes to a better future. a week later, democrats hosted their convention in charlotte, north carolina. and president obama and vice president biden accepted their nominations for re-election. on september the 11th, gunmen killed the u.s. ambassador to libya chris stevens and three other americans at the american consulate in benghazi. >> they had a mission. and they believed in it. they knew the danger and they accepted it. >> u.s. ambassador to the u.n., susan rice, used intelligence agency's talking points to tie the violence to worldwide protests over an american made anti-islam film. the attack later linked to terrorism and some on capitol hill accused the administration of covering up the truth. though there is no evidence of that. in the midst of that controversy, president obama and governor mitt romney squared off in three debates while both joe biden and paul

ryan came out swinging at their one and only vice presidential debated. israeli president benjamin netanyahu addressed the united nations to renew his calls for drawing a red line on iran's nuclear program. the white house said all options are on the table but stopped short of issuing an ultimatum. anti-doping report accused lance armstrong of using performance enhancing drugs. he never admitted doping. but armstrong's fall from grace cost him his seven tour de france titles. a jury convicted penn state football coach jerry sandusky of 45 counts of child sex abuse. a judge sentenced him to at least 30 years in prison. super storm sandy slammed into the coast. the storm caused the heaviest damage in parts of new york an new jersey, knocked out par to millions and caused a gas shortage that led to long lines and rationing.

president obama won a second term in office. >> we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. we are and forever will be the united states of america. >> shepard: while republicans retained control of the house and democrats kept their majority in the senate. just days after the election, a scandal hit washington. the cia director, the retired general david petraeus, resigned after admitting he had had an affair with his biographer. a man murdered 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in new town, connecticut. investigators say adam lanza killed his own mother before that shooting spree and later killed himself at the school. >> you are not alone in your grief. that our world two too has been torn apart. >> now we are looking ahead to next year. looking ahead to see what president obama can accomplish in his final term and whether lawmakers in congress can find a way to work together for the good of us all. we are also keeping a close eye on the economy and the

situations in syria and egypt. a lot of uncertainties ahead. and we will be here covering all the news as it happens. in new york i'm shepard smith. fox news. >> rick: thank you, shep. after a day of drama on capitol hill that left americans wondering whether or not our elected officials could stir the country away from the fiscal cliff. it now looks like a compromise deal will, in fact, be sent to the president's desk for his signature. multiple reports now that the house will vote tonight on the senate bill that passed in the early hours of this morning. a lot of upset over this bill because it doesn't cut spending the way republicans would like it too. without any better options and time running out we're told republican speaker john boehner will bring the senate bill to the floor for a vote. possibly at some point over the next hour or so, and that it's likely to pass. we'll have live coverage of this breaking story as it continues to play out. when we come back, academy award nomination set to be

announced in two weeks. some problems with the new electronic voting system threatening to throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing. will it effect oscar night? that's coming up next. i still h. [ male announcer ] truth is theraflu doesn't treat your cough. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus severe cold and flu fights your worst flu symptoms, plus that cough. [ sighs ] thanks!... [ male annouer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth!

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>> rick: you are watching america's leading fox news news channel. the deadline has been extended a full day after concerns about the new electronic voting system.

the academy launched the online balloting this year for the first time. many of its members reported glitches with the new process and say the technology is confusing. according to a "l.a. times" study more than 80% of the eligible voters are 50. hope the extension will give those who that are less technology savvy less time to work with the new system. deadline friday 8:00 p.m. eastern time. nominations are set to be announced in two weeks. updating some of their top stories this new year's day. house republicans may vote on the senate fiscal cliff deal, it would delay spending couple of months and families making less than $450,000 a year. doctors say they want to keep secretary of state hillary clinton in the hospital a little while longer. they are predicting she will will make a full recovery from the blood clot in her head. and students who survived the massacre at sandy hook elementary going back to class this week. but at a different school. and on this d